Know a Charity You Would Like To Do Something Amazing With This Summer?

Here's how you can partner with one for your Leadership-in-Action project.
Know a Charity You Would Like To Do Something Amazing With This Summer?
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Is there an impactful organisation you’d love to work with as your Leadership-in-Action experience? There are just 3 steps you can take to show initiative and make the partnership happen:

1. Come up with a rough idea of what you'd like to do*

Can you connect your previous summer research findings to the Leadership-in-Action project? Ask yourself: 

  • What did you learn during your research period last year?
  • How can you apply those findings to make the world a better place?
  • Who would be a good partner organisation to do that with?

If you cannot think of a way to apply your research findings from last year - not a problem! Instead, think about a cause you are passionate about and/or an area in which you would like to create meaningful impact.

In light of COVID-19, you might want to go for a local organisation if you would like a face-to-face experience since international travel might prove difficult. If you are very keen on an international organisation, consider how you could make it work virtually.  

Once you have a rough idea of what you'd like to do and with whom, get in touch with the organisation to see if they would be interested. You can use this ready-to-go briefing document we created to explain how Leadership-in-Action partnerships work. 

2. Put together a project proposal 

It needs to include:

  • The objective of the project and 3-4 SMART (specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, time-locked) goals;
  • How you think it will benefit the partner organisation;
  • Why you (and your fellow scholars if you are working in a team) would be the perfect people to make it happen.

3. Talk to your university's Laidlaw coordinator about the proposal

If they are on board, contact the organisation again with your proposal and work together to refine it. 

As soon as you have a clear plan for your summer project with your organisation of choice, ask your coordinator to get in touch with Pat Lofthouse, CEO of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme.

Good luck! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 


* Keep in mind have your project needs to fulfil the following criteria. Your project must: 

  • Have a clear objective that is owned by you, with at least 3 SMART (specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, time-locked) goals that give you an opportunity to put into practice the Laidlaw Attributes;

  • Involve working with/for a disadvantaged group or community or a group suffering hardship/suffering, e.g. refugees in order for you to gain a different perspective;

  • Be an immersive and full-time experience of 4-6 consecutive weeks;

  • Put you in a new and challenging environment outside of academia and outside of your comfort zone;

  • Make the world a better place and produce real-world impact;

  • Provide an opportunity for you to develop and apply leadership skills further;

  • Provide an experience where you can demonstrate an ability to lead others and deliver SMART goals.

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